Silver Pennies and Wretched Sweets
by Trillen17
Summary: A warm weight landed on Kili's shoulder and he looked up into his Uncle Thorin's face. "It will be alright, lad. There's no reason to invite more trouble with that expression." His Uncle's voice was gruff and Kili suddenly thought that it sounded as if he were trying to encourage himself as much as Kili.


**Hey All, I don't own any of the characters that you recognize!**

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Kili clutched his brother's slightly sweaty hand. Usually Fili would tell him that he was too old to hold Kili's hand, but this time he didn't protest.

This was the third time in Kili's memory that he'd had the looming prospect of a younger sibling, but this time he understood what was happening and it was different.

The first time he just barely remembered his Mother growing rounder and rounder, until one day his Father took him and Fili out to market day. He gave them each a silver penny and told them they could buy whatever they wanted.

Fili carefully waited, hoarding his penny, while Kili bought as many sweets as he could and was soon sick to his stomach. By the time they returned home Kili was in tears and they had to stop several times while he wretched alongside the road.

They'd been met at the door by very solemn dwarf woman who Kili didn't know, but he was too miserable to really pay attention to. In the next few weeks he didn't understand why everyone so serious and sad, but he never really cared for sweets after that.

He was caught off guard the second time as well but he understood what stillborn meant now and why his strong Mother wept.

Ten years had passed since that time and his parents accepted that they would be blessed with only two living children.

This time Kili knew the significance of his Mother 'increasing', as well as the tentative joy and fear that accompanied it. These emotions were only amplified after his Father's accident and passing. His stern Uncle Thorin came to stay with them and Mother had fallen ill. It was because of this illness that the baby was coming so early and Kili feared for his Mother's life.

Fili squeezed Kili's hand after he flinched from their Mother's muffled cries filtering through the house. They'd been sitting on a bench in the main dining area for several hours and Kili wondered if they would be waiting there all night.

The cries ceased and the silence was almost worse as Kili tried not to think about all the reasons that could be.

A warm weight landed on Kili's shoulder and he looked up into his Uncle Thorin's face. "It will be alright, lad. There's no reason to invite more trouble with that expression." His Uncle's voice was gruff and Kili suddenly thought that it sounded as if he were trying to encourage himself as much as Kili.

This idea that Uncle Thorin might be just as worried and in need of reassurance struck the young dwarf forcefully.

Kili smiled wobbly up at his Uncle and Kili thought he smiled back, but it may have been a pained grimace.

Fili pulled his hand away to sling his arm around Kili's small shoulders and Kili began to feel a little more hopeful as they sat in the silent room.

"You're facing one of the hardest things there is to face."

Thorin's words caused Kili to look up startled and alarmed, "What do you mean, Uncle?" Kili's voice squeaked, but for once he didn't care.

"Having a loved one in danger and pain, and knowing that you can do nothing for them. That is one of the hardest things in the world." His Uncle answered grimly

'And instead of Father here with us, we have you.' Kili immediately felt ashamed of the thought and turning, he threw his arms around his Uncle's waist.

"Don't worry Uncle, you have us. Fili and I are sitting here with you."

Thorin didn't seem to know what to do at first but slowly he returned his youngest nephew's hug.

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**So I was doing my Intro to Disease homework when I had the thought, What if the reason there aren't as many female dwarves isn't because there weren't as many girls born, but that not as many survived. What if they had a genetic disease that only affected females? So, um, yeah, this is the result.**

**I need feedback though, I can't decide how it end it. I have a couple of scenarios written, but I keep agonizing over it. I guess the real question is, should the ending be happy, bittersweet, or tragic?**

**Let me know what you think and help a girl out!**


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